Broncos & Vikings Get Week 1 Wins — Monday Night Football Recap

The Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings each started their 2017 NFL season with wins on Monday night. Here’s a recap of the games:

Denver 24, Los Angeles 21

Shelby Harris blocked Younghoe Koo’s game-tying field goal attempt with 5 seconds to play, and the Broncos held on to beat the Los Angeles Chargers, 24-21, in Denver on Monday night.

Playing in front of their customarily loud home crowd, the Broncos never trailed in the game. Denver (1-0) had a 24-7 lead at the end of the third quarter before Los Angeles (0-1) closed the gap. Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns, both to Bennie Fowler III.

The Chargers lost their first game repping the city of Los Angeles since 1960, the year before they left for San Diego (1961-2016). Philip Rivers passed for 191 yards and three scores, including two in the fourth quarter. He seemed to have his team in position to send the game into overtime, but Koo’s kick was blocked seconds after an earlier made attempt was whistled off because of a Denver timeout.

Vance Joseph of the Broncos and Anthony Lynn of the Chargers were the first two African-American head coaches to make their debut in the same game.

The ESPN announcing crew also made news: Beth Mowins became the first woman in 30 years to call the NFL on television. And, then there was sideline. reporter. Sergio. Dipp. whose measured comments were more awkward than anything new color analyst Rex Ryan said in the booth.

Minnesota 29, New Orleans 19

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Sam Bradford threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns and the Vikings beat the New Orleans Saints and former teammate Adrian Peterson, 29-19, in Minnesota on Monday night.